OSU professors honored for their work in reducing student costs and expanding access to learning
Five Oregon State University faculty members were honored earlier this month for their “outstanding” efforts to make higher education more affordable for students.
Open Oregon Educational Resources, a statewide organization that promotes textbook affordability and the adoption of low-cost learning materials, recognized the five OSU faculty members with its OER Champion Award. The award is given annually to educators who demonstrate outstanding commitment to open educational practices and equitable learning access.
Open educational resources (OER) are teaching and learning materials that are freely available to students, teachers, researchers and the general public. Examples of OER include textbooks, course modules, lectures, digital learning objects, classroom activities and quizzes.
Meet Oregon State’s 2025 OER Champions
Andreas Schmittner and Lauren Dalton
OER Champion Award category: Outstanding Publications
Andreas Schmittner, a professor in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, is a long-standing advocate for affordable course materials. His textbook, “Introduction to Climate Science,” is Oregon State’s most widely adopted openly licensed text, with 29 reported adoptions in the U.S. and internationally.
Schmittner’s commitment to climate education and accessibility is evident. He has worked directly with visually impaired students to improve usability and is currently preparing an updated edition to meet evolving educational needs.
Lauren Dalton, a senior instructor I in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics in OSU’s College of Science, co-authored “Fundamentals of Cell Biology,” along with Robin Young at the University of British Columbia Okanagan. The textbook is currently being used at 16 U.S. institutions. The text features custom illustrations and embedded animations that help students visualize complex biological concepts.
At Oregon State alone, the book has saved students an estimated $50,000 annually.
Kate Lajtha
OER Champion Award category: Leadership for Equity
Kate Lajtha, a professor in the Department of Crop and Soil Science in the College of Agricultural Sciences, received recognition for her equity-driven approach to course design.
After observing that many students in her high-enrollment Sustainability 102 course could not afford the required commercial textbook, Lajtha sought OER alternatives. She adopted open textbooks and redesigned her Canvas course with new quiz and discussion content.
The language in the OER texts also proved more accessible to her non-native English-speaking students. Her shift to open materials has saved Oregon State students more than $13,000 annually while removing financial and linguistic barriers to learning.
Rorie Solberg
OER Champion Award category: Open Pedagogy Innovator
Rorie Solberg, a professor in the School of Public Policy in the College of Liberal Arts, is among Oregon State’s most prolific open textbook authors. Her books “Civil Rights and Liberties” and “Government Powers and Limitations” were developed in collaboration with students, replacing costly legal texts with free, openly licensed resources. These two books alone were accessed more than 20,000 times last year and are now used by institutions throughout the U.S. and beyond.
Solberg also serves as co-editor and contributor to “Open Judicial Politics,” a two-volume series now in its third edition. Written by a diverse group of scholars, this series replaces commercial textbooks that can cost up to $150 each and introduces students to hands-on research in political science.
Dan Faltesek
OER Champion Award category: Institutional Advocacy and Leadership
Dan Faltesek, an associate professor of new media communications in the College of Liberal Arts, was recognized both for his authorship and for his leadership in advancing OER adoption at the institutional level.
Faltesek authored “New Media Futures,” a widely used OER text, and is currently working on a second edition. In addition to his publications, Faltesek co-chaired the Oregon State committee tasked with revising the Baccalaureate Core Curriculum. Under his leadership, the committee introduced a requirement for course proposals to indicate whether OER materials were considered — a move that has significantly increased faculty awareness of affordable alternatives.
While Oregon State faculty retain autonomy in selecting course materials, this simple proposal prompt has encouraged more instructors to explore cost-saving options.
Oregon State’s commitment to affordable learning
Oregon State University is a national leader in the open educational resources movement. Since 2019, Oregon State students have saved more than $20 million through faculty adoption of free or low-cost learning materials. These efforts increase access to course content, improve academic outcomes, and help students graduate on time with less debt.
Oregon State faculty members — Schmittner, Dalton, Lajtha, Solberg and Faltesek and many others — work with OSU’s Open Educational Resources Unit to adopt, adapt or author OER for courses delivered in person and online.
Interested in adopting OER?
The OER initiatives of this year’s OER Champions were funded through Oregon State University’s Affordable Learning Grant program. In addition to funding, the OER Unit provides technical support to help faculty develop and implement high-quality, accessible course materials.
If you’re an Oregon State faculty member interested in adopting, adapting or authoring an open textbook or other learning resource, visit the Oregon State OER Unit’s website to learn more.
